Plumbing sealing system

ABSTRACT

System for sealing a plumbing fixture, which fixture has a flange with an edge lying in spaced relationship to a vertical wall surface and a sealing element lying along and attached to the said edge to compensate for variations in the distance between the edge and the wall.

This is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 091,506, filedon Aug. 31, 1987, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,332, issued on July 12, 1988,which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 943,312, filed on Dec.17, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,702, issued on Nov. 17, 1987.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During the installation of plumbing in residential and commercialbuildings, it is often necessary to extend the plumbing through a walland to provide a fixture located outside of the wall. Such fixtures areusually of a decorative nature and are provided with a flange or bezelintended to cover the aperture in the wall. An example of such a fixtureis, for instance, the bath spout. During the roughing-in phase of theplumbing installation, supply pipes are mounted behind the wall betweenthe studding, while lateral extentions are provided to pass throughopenings in the wall itself. When the shower stall wall is provided andis covered with tile, openings in the wall covering and in the tile aremade to surround the pipes to which the fixtures will ultimately beattached. Due to various inaccuracies that are introduced by thecarpenter, the plumber, and the tile setter, it is unlikely that thepipe extending outwardly will exactly at a right angle to the wallsurface. This means that, when the fixture is attached, the edge of itsflange will lie at an angle to the wall and, therefore, not bewaterproof. The gap thus formed will allow liquid to pass into theopening between the edge of the flange and the wall surface and to enterthe aperture through the wall. Such water will, therefore, pass to theinside of the wall. Water leaking behind the wall can not only causedeterioration of the woodwork in the wall, but can also leak down intoapartments or space below. Although plumbers, while installing thefixtures, attemp to use sealants and other materials to prevent this,nevertheless, it continues to occur. Attempts have been made in the pastto provide the tub and shower valve constructed in such a way that theycan be adjusted angularly relative to the pipe to which they areattached, but such attemps have not only been unsuccessful, butconstitutes a costly way of manufacturing the valves. These and otherdifficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviatedin a unique manner by the present invention.

It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide asealing system for tub, shower and like fixtures which prevents theentry of flowing water, condensate, and steam behind the wall to whichthe fixture is attached, abuts, or penetrates.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a seal for flangedfixtures, which seal is not easily detached from the fixtures, which ishighly resilient, and yet will not absorb water.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a sealingsystem for a fixture in which a permanent connection is made between aseal and the fixture, so that the seal will not be dislodged from thefixture during shipment, installation, and use.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a sealingsystem for a flanged fixture which system is simple in construction,which is inexpensive to manufacture with readily obtainable materials,and which is capable of a long life of service with a minimum ofmaintenance.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of partsset forth in the specification and covered by the claims appendedhereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, the invention consists of a plumbing sealing systemincluding a fixture which has a flange adapted to lie with an edge inspaced relationship to a vertical wall surface adjacent an aperture inthe wall. A sealing element is provided which lies along and is firmlyattached to the said edge, while extending in the space between the edgeand the wall surface. The sealing element is formed of an elastomer thatis capable of extensive deformation, and yet is impervious to water.

More specifically, the said edge of the flange or escutcheon defines aclosed circular path confined to a single plane circumscribing theaperture in the wall, and wherein the sealing element is in the shape ofan annulus, or conforming to the shape of a valve and escutcheon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood byreference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated by theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a tub and shower installationincorporating a sealing system constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the installation taken on theline II--II of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a plumbing sealing system takenon the line III--III of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG.3,

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a still further modification ofthe invention,

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of another form of the invention,and

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view of another modification of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, which best show the general featuresof the invention, the plumbing sealing system, indicated generally bythe reference numeral 10, is shown in use on a vertical wall 11 of a tubor shower wall or stall. The wall is provided with tile or other finishsurface 12 having a vertical surface 13. Extending through an aperture14 in the wall 11 is a conduit 15 for supplying water to a fixture orspout 16 mounted on the surface 13 of the wall. The fixtures andescutcheons, such as a shower head, temperature control, and supplyhandles, are also mounted on the wall above the fixture 16, which isshown as a bath spout. The conduit 15 is part of a complex plumbingsupply system 20 mounted behind the wall 11 in the usual way.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the details of the system as applied to the bathspout 16. Fixture 16 is provided with a flange 17 that is adapted to liewith an edge 18 lying in spaced relationship to the vertical wallsurface 13 adjacent the aperture 14 in the wall. A sealing element 19lies along and is firmly attached to the said edge 18. The sealingelement extends in the space between the edge and the wall surface andis formed of an elastomer that is very resilient and impervious towater.

The edge 18 of the flange 17 is in the form of a closed circular pathwhich is confined to a single plane that circumscribes the aperture 14in the wall; the sealing element is in the shape of an annulus, orconforming to shape of the escutcheons.

As shown in FIG. 4, the sealing element 19 has a porous, very resilient,inner body 21 that is completely surrounded by a non-porous,moderately-resilient skin 24. In the preferred embodiment, the sealingelement 19 is formed by the so-called "structural foam" system in whichmolten plastic containing a gas generating chemical is injected into amold. The gas bubbles in the plastic are generated and form the porousinner body, while the outer surface contacts the cold surface of themold which closes the bubbles and forms a dense, non-porous skin.

As is evident in FIG. 4, the sealing element 19 has a generally C-shapedcross section in which the arms of the "C" embrace and grasp opposite,spaced, parallel surfaces of the flange, tube, or escutcheon 17.

As is particularly evident in FIG. 3, the sealing element 19 compensatesfor angularity between the edge 18 of the flange, tube or escutcheon 17and the surface 13 of the wall. In FIG. 3, an exaggerated angularity ispurposely shown between the fixture 16 and the wall caused, presumably,by the fact that the conduit 15 (during the installation of the supplysystem 20) extends through the aperture 14, but is not exactlyperpendicular to the surface 13. Because the fixture 16 has to bethreaded on to the conduit 15, it must necessarily occupy the posturethat is dictated by the conduit 15 which has been permanently installedin the wall. When this produces an angular relationship between the edge18 of the flange 17 and the surface 13 of the wall, the sealing element19 serves to compensate in the manner shown in FIG. 3. At the lower partof the fixture, the sealing element is flattened but still fills the gapbetween the edge and the surface completely. In the upper part, wherethe gap is wider, the resilient nature of the seal also fills the gapand prevents the entrance of water behind the fixture, through theaperture 14 and into the back surface of the wall where the damage wouldbe done. The dense, impervious nature of the skin 24 prevents any waterthat strikes the sealing element from being absorbed.

It can be seen to be particularly true in a tub, shower stallinstallation that water can run down the surface 13 of the tile orsurface wall towards the bath spout or face plate escutcheon 16 which isat the very bottom of the wall. Water and steam coming from the showerhead and other sources, such as condensation and steam, serves toexaccerbate these possible destructive conditions. The present inventionprevents the water from entering the aperture and back side of the walland doing damage. At the same time, the fact that sealing element 19grasps the edge 18 of the flange or escutcheon means that the seal canremain permanently with the fixture 16 and not be lost or mislaid duringshipping and installation by the installer. This is particularly true ifa slight amount of cement is applied to the arms of the seal beforebefore it is applied to the flange 17 at the factory.

In FIG. 5, it can be seen that the sealing element 26 is provided with ahollow central chamber 23 that is completely enclosed by a non-porous,moderately-resilient skin 24. The edge of the flange is provided with agroove 25 in which the sealing element 26 resides and because of itsresilient and impervious nature, the sealing element prevents the accessof water around the edge of the fixture and through the aperture 14 inthe wall.

In FIG. 6, the sealing element 28 has an oval-shaped main body 29 thatfits in a rabbet 31 formed on the inside corner of the flange 32. Thesealing element has a ridge 33 which extends outwardly of the main bodyand around the outside corner of the flange. The main body 29 and theridge 33 are hollow in the interior in the same manner as the sealingelement of FIG. 5.

Referring next to FIG. 7 which shows a further modification of theinvention, it can be seen that the sealing element 35 has an oval-shapedmain body 36 that fits snugly in a groove 37 formed in the edge of theflange 38. Sealing element also has a ridge 39 extending outwardly ofthe main body.

FIG. 8 shows a variation in the form of the invention in which thesealing element 41 has a hollow central chamber 42 that is completelyenclosed by a non-porous, moderately-resilient skin 43. The sealingelement has a generally C-shaped cross section and the arms 44 and 45 ofthe sealing element embrace and grasp opposite spaced parallel surfaces47 and 48, respectively, of the flange 46; cement applied to the arms ofthe sealing element before being applied to the flange will increase thebenefits of the construction.

Advantages of the present invention will now be readily understood inview of the above description. It can be seen that, by providing asealing element which attaches firmly to the flange of the fixture, itis possible to assure that the sealing element will remain with thefixture following manufacture, shipment, rough storage and handling bythe plumber, and finally during installation on the wall of the showerstall. Because the center body of the sealing element is relativelyresilient, especially where the center is air instead of foam, theresilient nature is not removed by the provision of a dense outer skinwhich skin renders the seal impervious to water and prevents it becomingsoaked with water and causing problems from the point of view.Furthermore, the outer skin is capable of being aluminized or receivinga color coating to make it aesthetically pleasing when combined with therest of the fixture and of the tile. By compensating for the variationin spacing between the edge of the flange of the fixture and thevertical wall, the appearance of the fixture installation is vastlyimproved, as well as having the practical effect of preventingcondensate and other forms of water from getting behind the wall anddoing damage. At the same time, the seal is inexpensive to install andthe sealing system itself is readily acceptable by plumbers so that itsuse can be extensively promoted, thus leading to better buildinginstallations with fewer returns to the site by the plumber to correctwater problems.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form andconstruction of the invention without departing from the material spiritthereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to theexact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include allsuch as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new anddesired to secure by Letters Patent is:
 1. Plumbing sealing system,comprising:(a) a fixture including a flange adapted to lie with an edgein spaced relationship to a vertical wall surface adjacent an aperturein the wall, and (b) a sealing element in the shape of an annulus ofcircular cross-section lying along and firmly attached to the said edge,while extending into the space between the plane of the edge and thewall surface, the sealing element being formed of an elastomer that isresilient and impervious to water, wherein the said edge of the flangedefines a closed circular path confined to a single plane circumscribingthe aperture in the wall, and wherein the sealing element has a porous,very resilient inner body completely surrounded by a non-porous,moderately-resilient skin, wherein the edge of the flange has a groovewith a depth at least equal to the radius of the sealing element, andwherein the sealing element fits snugly in the groove.
 2. Plumbingsealing system, comprising:(a) a fixture including a flange adapted tolie with an edge in spaced relationship to a vertical wall surfaceadjacent an aperture in the wall, and (b) a sealing element in the shapeof an annulus of circular cross-section lying along and firmly attachedto the said edge, while extending into the space between the plane ofthe edge and the wall surface, the sealing element being formed of anelastomer that is resilient and impervious to water, wherein the saidedge of the flange defines a closed circular path confined to a singleplane circumscribing the aperture in the wall, and wherein the sealingelement has a hollow central chamber completely enclosed by anon-porous, moderately-resilient skin, wherein the edge of the flangehas a groove with a depth at least equal to the radius of the sealingelement, and wherein the sealing element fits snugly in the groove. 3.Plumbing sealing system, comprising:(a) a water supply conduit extendingthrough an aperture in a vertical wall, (b) a fixture mounted on theconduit and having a flange with an edge that extends entirely aroundthe aperture and is generally concentric with the conduit, the edgelying in spaced relationship with the surface of the wall, the flangebeing defined by inner and outer cylindrical surfaces that areconcentric and spaced form one another, (c) a sealing element in theshape of an annulus of circular cross section lying along and attachedto the edge of the flange, the sealing element being generally resilientand impervious to water, and (d) means including cooperating surfaces ofthe edge of the flange and the seal to maintain the position of the sealrelative to the edge and to prevent a change of the said position,wherein the edge of the flange has a groove with a depth at least equalto the radius of the sealing element, and wherein the sealing elementfits snugly in the groove.
 4. Plumbing sealing system, comprising:(a) afixture including a flange adapted to lie with an edge in spacedrelationship to a vertical wall surface adjacent an aperture in thewall, and (b) a sealing element in the shape of an annulus of circularcross-section lying along and firmly attached to the said edge, whileextending into the space between the plane of the edge and the wallsurface, the sealing element being formed of an elastomer that isresilient and impervious to water, wherein the said edge of the flangedefines a closed circular path confined to a single plane circumscribingthe aperture in the wall, and wherein the sealing element has a porous,very resilient inner body completely surrounded by a non-porous,moderately-resilient skin, wherein the edge of the flange has a rabbet,with a depth of at least equal to the radius of the sealing element, andwherein the sealing element fits snugly in the rabbet.
 5. Plumbingsealing system, comprising:(a) a fixture including a flange adapted tolie with an edge in spaced relationship to a vertical wall surfaceadjacent an aperture in the wall, and (b) a sealing element in the shapeof an annulus of circular cross-section lying along and firmly attachedto the said edge, while extending into the space between the plane ofthe edge and the wall surface, the sealing element being formed of anelastomer that is resilient and impervious to water, wherein the saidedge of the flange defines a closed circular path confined to a singleplane circumscribing the aperture in the wall, and wherein the sealingelement has a hollow central chamber completely enclosed by anon-porous, moderately-resilient skin, wherein the edge of the flangehas a rabbet with a depth of at least equal to the radius of the sealingelement, and wherein the sealing element fits snugly in the rabbet. 6.Plumbing sealing system, comprising:(a) a water supply conduit extendingthrough an aperture in a vertical wall. (b) a fixture mounted on theconduit and having a flange with an edge that extends entirely aroundthe aperture and is generally concentric with the conduit, the edgelying in spaced relationship with the surface of the wall, the flangebeing defined by inner and outer cylindrical surfaces that areconcentric and spaced form one another, (c) a sealing element in theshape of an annulus of circular cross section lying along and attachedto the edge of the flange, the sealing element being generally resilientand impervious to water, and (d) means including cooperating surfaces ofthe edge of the flange and the seal to maintain the position of the sealrelative to the edge and to prevent a change of the said position,wherein the edge of the flange has a rabbet with a depth at least equalto the radius of the sealing element, and wherein the sealing elementfits snugly in the rabbet.